Vatican Teams With U.S. Company to Advance Ethical Stem-Cell Research (2853)

NeoStem has pioneered adult stem-cell research the last five years.

VATICAN CITY (EWTN News/CNA)— The Vatican has signed its first-ever commercial agreement with an outside company. The contract with U.S.-based bio-pharmaceutical firm NeoStem will advance ethical research into stem cells.

“We would like to create a hotspot for scientists, benefactors, academics (and) Church leaders that will now join this group and would work together for the benefit of humanity,” Father Tomaz Trafny of the Vatican’s Council for Culture told EWTN News June 16.

The deal was announced before the global media in Rome.

“We are a public company pioneering new medical research with adult stem cells,” explained Dr. Robin Smith, the CEO of NeoStem, which is based in New York.

“This research has the potential to alleviate human suffering by unlocking the healing power of the human body. Most importantly, we are able to do all this without destroying another human life,” she said.

Stem cells are the body’s master cells. From them all of the body’s 200-plus types of tissue ultimately grow. Their incredible versatility means they have the potential to provide replacement tissue to treat all manner of disorders.

“Thanks to some amazing technological advances, we are learning that part of the solution to these diseases and many others may already be present in our bodies,” said Smith.“Each human being has his or her own cellular fingerprint. Each one of us has cells with regenerative powers. These are our stem cells.”

The Catholic Church approves of stem-cell research but disapproves of those cells being drawn from human embryos — a process that involves their killing. The Church does approve of stem cells taken from adults or from the placenta or umbilical cord at birth.

“In other words, we do not have to destroy human life to improve and extend human life for those who are struggling with debilitating diseases.”

NeoStem has pioneered adult stem-cell research throughout its five years of existence. The company says that its advances are proving both ethical and very successful.

“There are no current therapies using embryonic stem cells today, but there are over 70 treatments available using adult stem cells, including anemia, leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma,” Smith told EWTN News in a later interview.

The relationship between the Vatican and NeoStem will involve three areas of cooperation.

The first venue for the venture will entail work on research, including issues of funding. The second avenue of cooperation will involve the study of the cultural consequences of regenerative medicine, beginning with a major conference in Rome later this year, “Adult Stem Cells: Science and the Future of Man and
Culture.”

And the final area of collaboration will involve educating people, particularly those within the Church, about the practicalities and ethics of this new field of medical research.

“It is clear that our collaboration is open to other institutions sharing the same values,” said Father Trafny.

“We are open to all the possible paths of collaboration with several institutions, single researchers and philanthropists who want to share these initiatives that we hope would have a global impact.”

Comments

God bless you, Vatican and NeoStem. Now, get ready for the howls and the most fierce opposition from the Embryonic Stem Cell Research Companies who will have to close their Embryos’ Death Chambers and from major Drug Companies who will lose financially, if the TRUTH about the effectiveness of the adult stem-cell as opposed to the embryonic stem-cell which kills millions of embryos daily is broadcast and adopted worldwide. Their lies will come to a screeching halt - and I pray for ever, Amen. Praise be God

Posted by AmyNoel on Friday, Jun 17, 2011 10:58 AM (EDT):

This is great news, and gives me hope for America—and grounds to “be humaine” and “not be so closed minded” while still standing up for what I believe. Wonderful. I hope this process doesn’t have negative side effects over time for donators.

Posted by Lee Anne Bruce on Thursday, Jun 16, 2011 5:05 PM (EDT):

It will be interesting to see how many companies currently doing embryonic stem cell research will make the
transition to adult stem cells.

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